We are a team of professionals committed to discovering and providing innovative solutions
to mental health problems by: educating health professionals, providing compassionate
service, advancing science and inspiring a love of learning.

Department Highlights

AU Psychiatry's first Service Day: The day was spent at ECRH, Augusta's state psychiatric
hospital, during which residents organized several activities (art therapy, crafts,
card games, pool, and ping pong) to engage and support patients.

Dr. Youssef (Left) and Dr. John Berg (left) professor at Lovisenberg Diakonal Hospital,
Oslo, Norway during the joint meeting of the European Forum for ECT (EFFECT) and the
Italian Association for Somatic Therapies in Psychiatry (Rome, Italy) where Dr. Youssef
was invited to give an oral presentation on the development of Low Amplitude Seizure
Therapy (LAP-ST)

EII Director and Psychology Postdoctoral Fellow win the Patient and Family Centered
Care Impact AwardDr. Lara Stepleman, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the EII, and Dr. James
Griffin, health psychology postdoctoral fellow, were the recipients of the AUMC PFCC
IMPACT Award from The Center for Patients and Families and the Office of the CEO for
their project proposal, “Fostering an Inclusive Patient and Family Centered Care Environment
for Sexual and Gender Minorities at AUMC.” The purpose of this interprofessional project
is to develop a continuum of staff and provider trainings to improve the healthcare
experiences of sexual and gender minorities in AUMC’s hospitals and clinics. They
will work to ensure patients are treated with respect through: 1) accurate and sensitive
collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data in the electronic medical
record, 2) knowledgeable communication with patients and families, using language
appropriate to the individual, and 3) active, ongoing collaborative partnerships with patients,
families, providers, and administrators that will foster an inclusive environment.